Whispers In The Dark
by seek-to-enchant121584
Summary: When Logan accidently touches Max again, this time Alec's right there to save him. But will he be able to save Max from the inner demons that plague her when they become too much to bear? And what will she not do to keep them at bay? Max/Alec. Complete.
1. Bad Girlfriend

Author's note: Just for your information, this story may be a little...different than my usual. I feel, (of course, sometimes my feelings a tad off-course) that this is a little darker and out of character for Max. I can't judge how well I handled the situation I put her in, so let's just see how it all goes, shall we? Oh, and each title is, from what I feel to be (or perhaps just my favorite), the main song for each chapter.

Music suggestions: 'Broken road' by 12 Stones, 'Bad girlfriend' by Theory of a Deadman, 'Scars' by Papa Roach, 'The diary of Jane' by Breaking Benjamin.

Disclaimer: No Dark Angel copyrights for me.

Chapter 1: Bad Girlfriend

"_I'm sorry, Max." Logan said quietly, remorse and pain lacing his words. He took a step towards her and reached out to touch her arm, but hesitated and backed away when her usual reaction of recoiling away from his touch mixed with his declaration in the expression on her face. _

_Whenever she thought of breaking up with Logan, she was always the dumper, for lack of a better word. It made a weird sort of sense that the tables were turned on her for once, but never had she thought that she would be on the receiving end of an 'It's not you, it's me' speech._

"_You're breaking up. Breaking up with me." Max asked more as a statement, astonishment gracing her features with a frown appearing and a hand held up in front of her as if to ward him off even though he hadn't made a move. Shaking her head and laughing at the irony of the situation sardonically, her gaze then lifted from the floor to his and met it squarely._

"_You know what? Nevermind. I've gotta blaze." Max said smartly before he could reply. With that she turned on her heel and left, Logan's voice calling out after her and the slamming door._

_There were other ways to deal with the pain._

ooonoooo*ooocoo*ooozoooo*oonooo

Alec stared on in a mixture of confusion and fascination as he stared out at the dance floor at a sight that he was sure would guarantee his being unable to get it up for any other woman except for the one currently holding his attention.

Max was out at the center of the dance floor, drawing all eyes to her and the three guys flanking her. She was grinding up against each and every one of them all in turn. He'd have thought that she'd long been pissed off by all the grabbing and groping and messed them all up for even breathing the same air as her. However, she seemed to be quite the opposite, reveling in it and sharing whatever part of her body they wished to touch.

She had to be drunk or high. Both. Definitely both. Somehow she'd found a way. There was no other explanation for such un-Max like behavior. He could honestly say he'd never seen, nor even considered, the Max that was currently gyrating her ass almost indecently against the guy with shaggy blond hair standing flush behind her with her arms draped over the shoulders of a well-built guy with close cropped brown hair in front of her, losing herself to the pulsing beat of the classic early 21st century rock song as the third guy in the group merely groped at whatever he could get his hands on while moving around enough to still call it dancing.

The only thing stopping him from storming over and breaking up the fully clothed orgy was the aching hard-on he was currently sporting and what that all lead to.

He was jealous. And horny as all hell for the one woman that refused to look at him twice without scowling and cursing him.

Deep down he liked to think she really did care...but he wasn't about to hold his breath.

He tried to look away, he really did. Especially since he could hear something that remotely resembled his name being thrown out from somewhere, but that sense was being redirected at the moment. He knew full well that if her attitude took a one-eighty, extracting herself from the situation would not be a problem. It was _Max_ after all. She didn't need his protection. Or his preoccupation. If he didn't look away, _his_ situation wouldn't go away after all, but his eyes weren't listening to his brain and continued sending feedback directly south.

That is, until OC suddenly appeared in his line of vision blocking his view. Frowning, his gaze was finally forced upward to look at OC expectantly, waiting for her to speak.

"Is there something you needed to say, or were you just looking for some action and finally came to your senses about which side you should be pulling from?" Alec said lightly, both irritated and glad for OC's interruption. He would have to give her a hug someday. When he was in a better mood.

And suddenly became a hugging person.

"She's turning into her nearest and dearest fellow X5." OC said shortly, ignoring his response and the fact that it'd taken her nearly five minutes to get his attention, instead giving him a look that left little doubt as to who she was referring to.

"Really?" Alec said, totally confused as to what she was going on about. Had she been talking to him before she made herself visible? Had he really been that distracted? "Who? I'm totally lost."

"Max, you fool. She's turning into you." OC said in a frustrated tone. Really. What was it about her that attracted all the attention-deficit X5s?

"Oh, right. I hadn't noticed." Alec said, slightly sarcastically but still not understanding the point of the conversation.

OC rolled her eyes in exasperation. "She's trying to break your Guinness book record in the sex department."

"Oh, you mean my 'Whore of the year' award is up for challenge?" Alec jaunted in a mock-worried tone, his tone definitely dripping with sarcasm.

"This ain't no joke, pretty boy. I don't know why she doin' it, but she actin' like she in some uncontrollable heat cycle. And I know for a fact that she isn't. She's been goin' like this for weeks nonstop. Now I understand scratching an itch. Hell, I even advised her to get back in the game and have a few fiery flings. But she's been bringing a different man home just about every night she decides to come back to the apartment. And I don't wanna know what she's up to when she doesn't come home some nights. I'm worried about her. She can't keep this up, she's not the 'party all night, chasing tail' type." OC explained in a chastising tone, her expression dead-serious.

"She's a big girl, OC. If this is how she wants to deal with Logan breaking up with her, then all the more power to her. Sure, it blows being on the receiving end of the break-up, I'm not saying it doesn't. But what exactly do you want me to do about it?" Alec replied with a hint of irritation. Thinking about Max having sex with other men rubbed his inner animal the wrong way. "Let her mount every man in Seattle. Why am I suddenly the only one that can solve all her damn problems?"

"Boy, if I knew it would make any difference, I would so put a hurtin' on yo' smartass." OC bit out tightly, her eyes narrowing in anger. "My boo may have her problems, but you have no right to go all hypocritical on her. She may ride your ass, and you may not like it. That ain't my deal. What I _do_ know though is that...she don't have anyone else. Right now, you're all she's got. Who else is gonna help my girl?" OC finished defeatedly.

"She just needs a little reminder of who she is." OC added encouragingly after a moment as Alec thought about what she'd said.

"You do realize that you're asking _me_ to tell Max to lay off of all the philandering right?" Alec asked dubiously, gesturing to no one in particular with his scotch glass.

OC smiled sagely.

"It'll be just the slap in the face she needs." OC countered smartly.

ooomoo*ooovoooo*oooxoo*oooaoooo

"Max, we need to talk." Alec called out when he spotted Max at her front door. He'd finally decided to give in to OC and went to talk to Max. Thankfully, she appeared to be alone.

"I'm afraid you're gonna have to get in line." Max said irritably, gesturing to Logan as she attempted to unlock her door.

Or perhaps not so alone.

"Logan?" Alec said disbelievingly. Weren't they supposed to be _avoiding_ each other? Aside from the breaking up part. Max was still fatal to Logan's health after all.

"Max," Logan said pleadingly, his hands moving around wildly in emphasis to his continuing lecture. "You can't keep this up forever. You're hurting yourself more than you're hurting anyone else. Alec's response to life shouldn't be yours as well." Pointing to Alec as he finished speaking.

"Hey!" Alec said, almost indignantly, "I resent that. It's not as if sex is all I do."

"Well, it _is_ the truth for the most part." Logan said in an apologetic tone, barely even glancing in Alec's direction when he said this.

Alec shrugged in a semi-accepting gesture, shaking his head back and forth as if weighing the truth of the words.

"If you boys don't mind, I'd like to get inside my apartment and crash for awhile. It is rather late after all and the bills don't pay themselves. So...your leaving would be great." Max said mock-lightly, shaking one hand in a dismissive shooing gesture as she finally got her door open and took a step inside.

Almost as if it were a reflexive gesture, Logan reached out and grabbed Max's arm to stop her.

"Max, wait. I..." Logan trailed off once he realized what he'd done.

Max turned ever-so-slightly, confusion crossing her features. An eternity seemed to pass as she tried to figure out what didn't feel right. Her eyes locked onto the hand grasping her bare forearm, unable to connect what was wrong with the gesture until Alec jumped between them and split the contact, catching Logan as he fell to the floor, already convulsing and going into shock.

Time seemed to realign itself and broke Max from her trance.

"Inside. Now." Max ordered, flattening herself against the door to allow Alec to pass, dragging Logan along with his arms hooked under the other's armpits. She closed the door behind her as Alec laid Logan down on the couch. Max jogged into her bedroom and retrieved the blood transfusion kit from underneath her bed and carried it back out to the common area where Alec stood, watching over Logan studiously.

Max motioned for Alec to sit in the kitchen chair she'd pulled up on her way back out and knelt down to open up the kit.

"You have a blood transfusion kit? In your apartment?" Alec asked, at this point not really surprised by anything involving Max.

"I would say the situation called for one, don't you?" Max countered shortly, feeding the supply end of the needle into his arm. Handing the receiving end to Alec, she gestured for him to finish the process of attaching it to Logan. He got up and fed the line without complaint.

Max sat as far away from Logan as possible without losing sight of him. Minutes passed and Max sat on the edge of the couch watching as Alec's blood flowed down the line and into Logan, both sitting quietly, afraid to break the silence that hung in the air.

Slowly but surely, the tremors that racked Logan's body began to subside and the red splotches that had marred his skin began to fade.

Alec looked over to Max who had her head hung over in her hands with her fingers buried in her hair. He looked on for a moment, a mixture of pity and understanding swirling over his face.

"Max?" Alec called out gently. She looked up, her face visibly red even in the darkness. His breath hitched in his chest when he saw the pain that was getting harder and harder for her to conceal. "You should probably call that doctor friend of Logan's that's familiar with the virus. And find some way to get Logan to the hospital. Find some way to contact Asha. She should be able to help us out there. I'll finish up here." Alec finished talking and tapped at the line between him and Logan.

Max nodded mutely and looked around helplessly for a moment, looking for a phone. Alec reached into his jacket pocket with his free hand and pulled out his cell phone and tossed it to her.

"Here. Keep it for now. I'll get it back later."

Max smiled slightly, looking down at the phone in her hands. Looking as if he'd forgotten something, Alec turned around.

"Oh, and Max?" Alec said, his eyes dancing with mirth yet a serious expression on his face, "Lay off all the sex and seduction. It's making me look bad."

oooooxoooo*ooosoo*oooaoozooo

Well? What do you all think? As to the virus and blood transfusion kit and such, I'm making it all up as I go. I really have no idea as to all that stuff. I just wrote down what sounded good at the time. So...until next time...


	2. Tears Don't Fall

Author's note: This next chapter is the one that started it all. It just took me awhile to write a beginning and end that made sense and tied into this section here. Well, I hope that it all makes sense, anyway. And thanks to you all that have reviewed so far! Yeah...I think I'm just going to stop talking now. I know, shocker.

Music Suggestions: 'It's not over' by Daughtry, 'Count on me' by Default, 'Tears don't fall' by Bullet for My Valentine, 'Everything' by Buckcherry.

Disclaimer: Nope. Nada. Zip. Ziltch. All-around nothing concerning Dark Angel belongs to me.

Chapter 2: Tears Don't Fall

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. All he'd decided to do was return to Max's so he could get his phone back. Who knew how many calls she's received that would no doubt lead to trouble on his end. So, after work that day and neither seeing nor hearing from Max at all – which was bizarre in and of itself – he stopped by to pick up the phone himself. After deciding to cover her shift as well as his, that is. It never hurt trying to brown nose a little.

He tuned back into the conversation OC was having with him. And from what he was hearing, he just knew she was about to ask him to do something for Max. Again.

"She's slipping away. And I don't know what else to do." OC said, concern etching her features once again. Although this time it was for a different reason.

Alec looked in the direction of Max's bedroom. He could see her curled up on her bed, staring blankly at the wall directly in front of her. He frowned and turned back to a frazzled looking OC.

"How long has she been like this?" Alec asked in an accessing tone.

"Ever since she came home from the hospital. Logan's gonna be fine, by the way." OC said, rubbing the back of her neck in a tired fashion.

"I already know." Alec said dismissively. He then turned towards her, his expression incredulous. "Wait. You're telling me she hasn't moved from that bed since six last night? A whole day without moving?"

"Oh she's moved." OC said, a tad hysterically. "Been to the bathroom a few times. Looking all zombie like the whole time. Tried talkin' to her, bringin' her food. There's nothin' coming through. It's like she's an empty shell. She won't say anything, won't even acknowledge me. Original Cindy's never seen her girl like this before." OC explained, sitting down on the couch and leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling.

"It got to her this time, this thing with Logan. You weren't there the first time this virus bitch paid us a visit. We got lucky that time. Like some miracle from God himself as a gift for all the pain and suffering my girl's been put through. Then dog-boy came to the rescue the second time. Joshua is like the big brother everyone wishes they had. Thankfully, she had you and that whole Ben fiasco to keep her mind clear. But this time, you were here for her...and Logan. It progresses quicker every time, the virus. If you hadn't been with them...he'd probably be dead." OC stopped speaking for a moment, looking down at her hands. "Now her mind's had time to dwell. And dwelling it is. Something finally gave. And _you _need to pull her back."

Alec paced back and forth in front of the couch as OC spoke. He paused at the end of the speech. He just knew it was coming.

"Why me?" Alec asked depreciatively, looking at OC intently.

OC straightened up and looked at him squarely. "How many times we gotta go over this? Because you're the only one who can." OC answered simply.

"How would you know?" Alec asked bitterly. He knew he was being stubborn, but he just couldn't stop beating a dead horse, as the old saying went. "I thought I was the local screw-up, someone you could blame all your problems on. Not worth the trouble."

OC shook her head, some of the fire back in her eyes, the weariness being shed away like a second skin. "Now you listen to the words I'm about to lay down on ya. OC can see how you're always there for my girl, how you've always got her back. It may not look like she appreciates you being around or what you do, but I know her better than you do. You've been all-around good for her. She smiles more. She's more relaxed, especially when you're around. Whether you, or her, realize it yet or not, you need each other. She's livin' in the past with all the "should be's" and "what might have beens" with Logan. Corny as it may sound, _you're_ her future.

"Now go work your magick and bring my boo back." OC finished resolutely, having stood and worked her way over to Alec, standing toe-to-toe with him as she looked up into his eyes and pointed in the direction of Max's room.

Alec just stared back at her, completely stunned by the fact that OC had once again verbally kicked his ass with her outburst. He really never could learn to keep his mouth shut and just do what he was told in the first place. Instead of saying anything, he simply nodded.

"Good. Now that OC's verbally laid the smackdown on yo' ass, I'm gonna try and get some shut eye. Use any means necessary to bring her back. Just try and keep it down, ai'ight? Some of us actually need beauty sleep. You all wear me out. " OC said around a yawn. Turning, she didn't bother waiting for an answer as she trudged over to her bedroom and shut the door.

He turned back around to face Max's room. Staring at the doorway and the almost pitiful form laying in the center of the bed, he paused to think. Was what OC said really true? Did he actually make someone happy by just being around? Not by saying or doing anything at all? Since Rachel, he hadn't thought that possible. No one thought him trustworthy enough. Sure, he made plenty of women happy physically, that was something that he just happened to be innately excelled in. He didn't even have to try. He was also fairly good with the dry humor. He could make just about anyone smile with only a few choice words.

But to make someone glow and feel all warm inside from just seeing him? That was something he didn't even think he'd accomplished with Rachael. OC hadn't said as much about Max, but OC was starting to reawaken thoughts he'd rather leave buried with the past.

Everyone was better off that way. Especially Max. She'd had enough heartache already to last anyone a lifetime.

Walking through the doorway, he made his way around the bed slowly, letting Max sense his presence. Gazing down at her, he couldn't believe how small she looked, how fragile. Again, the urge to gather her up in his arms and hold her tight, to protect her from the world and how much pain it loaded down on her everyday, floated up to the surface.

But he had to take it slow. He couldn't rush this. Not Max.

He'd only seen her like this once before. Back when he'd been falsely accused of Ben's murders. However, even that was nothing compared to this. There were tear tracks on her face, but no tears were currently falling. She looked desolate. Completely lost. Finally withdrawing into herself and letting the pain and anguish consume her, just giving up and letting it all take root inside her heart.

He knelt down next to her face, which was now staring out blankly before him, and stared at her intently. Usually such attention warranted a verbal reprimand. However, she had yet to even acknowledge him. He considered his options. Should he try pissing her off? While that had always worked in the past at taking her mind off of things, he had a feeling that emotion wouldn't quite be strong enough...at least to start with.

That thought scared him more than anything. Unable to piss Max off? _Max?_

"Max, you in there?" Alec asked, peering into her eyes curiously, as if he were checking to make sure somebody was home with the lights on, but mostly to see if she would respond at all.

"Go away, Alec. Now is definitely not the time." Max said flatly, not even bothering to focus on him.

"You can't let it eat you up inside, Max. Just look at what it did to me." Alec replied seriously, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

"Alec, please. Just go away." Max said again, finally looking at him. The pain in her eyes was familiar and just as unbearable. He knew what it felt like and how easy it was to bottle it all inside and wallow, but he wouldn't push the matter. He wasn't going to force her. He knew from experience that if someone pushed, he merely pushed back and became defensive. He didn't want to push Max even further away than she already was.

"Alright, I'll go. If that's what you really want." Alec relented, standing up from his crouched position. Just as he was about to walk out the door, he heard her voice, catching as she spoke.

"I killed him, Alec." Max whispered quietly. Alec paused in the doorway, listening with his back to her. She sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. "Almost for sure this time. Again.

"How many times? How many more times is this gonna happen before he dies for good? There are only so many times a person can be brought back. I can't keep going through this. I can't keep watching him die over and over again. I don't know how to make it stop. I don't know how to fix this. What can I do, Alec? What am I supposed to do?" Max rambled, tears falling freely down her face.

Alec turned and walked back towards her when he heard the desperation creep into her voice, the hysteria. Sitting down next to her on the bed, he pulled her gently into his arms. She curled up against his chest with her arms folded up between them, trying to escape the world and her emotions in his embrace.

There were no racking sobs and wailing, only silent tears. Alec simply held her, rocking her back and forth while lightly kneading the back of her neck with one hand.

"Everything will be alright, Max. Just watch. I'll make sure of it." Alec whispered quietly, laying his cheek against the top of her head as he rocked her gently.

Max's breathing eventually evened out and her crying stopped. She'd cried herself to sleep. He was glad she'd at least fallen asleep. She needed the break.

He realized something as he sat there with his back to the wall with Max in his arms. He wanted to be the one Max turned to when she had a problem. He wanted to be the one to make her happy, to bring a smile to her face when she was feeling down. He wanted to be the one standing beside her in a fight. He wanted to protect her with everything he had.

He wanted to simply lay beside her and watch her sleep. He wanted her in every way imaginable.

These thoughts gave him pause. For one, he didn't think he was capable of such depth. This was something even deeper than Rachel. With Rachel, it had all been lies from the start. But with Max, there was no way he could lie to her. Well...not for very long, anyway. From the moment he walked into her cell so long ago, he knew it would be different with her. She was like no other woman on earth – Manticore made or not. He couldn't help but be drawn to her.

He laid there with her for hours, holding her and watching over her as she slept. He fell asleep himself at some point, slumping them both down so they were laying out relatively even as well.

He'd never fallen asleep next to anyone before. Yes, Max was definitely different from the rest.

oooomooo*ooocoooo*ooozoooo*ooosooo

(Cringing and hiding face with hands) I'm wondering if I got a tad too melodramatic with this chapter. Also, if I rushed things. I tend to have a problem with not letting my characters stay unhappy for very long before I make everything all bright and shiny. And I'm thinking too much with the author's note. For some reason or another, it's what takes me the longest to write! So, I hope you all liked and chapter 3 should be on its way in the next few days. Until next time...


	3. Hum Along

Author's Note: Here we go, the next chapter as promised. As I was writing this chapter, I realized that it's more filler than anything. Nothing much going on in this chapter. Also had a little trouble choosing the music for this one. I try and fit it with the theme going through the chapter, but all the music I was listening to in this chapter doesn't really line up. So, I just went through my I-pod and chose some at random.

Music Selections: 'Deeper into you' by Trust Company, 'Believe' by Staind, 'Cumbersome' by Seven Mary Three, 'Hum along' by Ludo.

Disclaimer: You know, eventually I'm not even going to bother with this. It's always the same old, same old. None of it is mine.

Chapter 3: Hum Along

Max was the first to wake up sometime around dawn. She awoke to the sound of a heartbeat thudding steadily beneath her head. It was the same one that had lulled her to sleep the night before. Who knew that Alec had such a soothing heartbeat?

Especially considering the fact that his incessant rambling never ceased to irritate her.

Snuggling into his chest one last time for reasons unknown to her, Max then looked up at the man that had once again rescued her from the depths of her own emotions. Okay, so perhaps that was kind of dramatic, but seriously, she wouldn't be surprised if he considered it a full-time job these days. Everything just seemed to be bubbling to the surface all at once, smothering her like a wet blanket. On most days, she was able to evade her problems completely. And then the most minuscule thing would happen and they would wrap around her in such a way that she couldn't shrug off.

He didn't make a sound as he slept. He didn't snore, not even softly. He didn't moan or talk in his sleep, either. In fact, she was sure he hadn't moved once because she would have felt it and woke up. It didn't take much to wake a transgenic. He wasn't faking either. He lived to taunt and tease her and if he were awake knowing she was as well, he wouldn't be in such a restful repose.

No, he was still asleep.

She brought both arms up and folded them underneath her chin as she gazed at his sleeping features. She wasn't about to go all cliché and say how peaceful he looked while asleep, but it _was_ all rather nice. This waking up next to someone and watching him sleep was something new to her. And she liked it.

As if he could feel her eyes on him, Alec began to stir beneath her. His face scrunched up as he stretched out his arms and legs, pushing her up as well. She smiled at how...familiar it all seemed. Rubbing at his eyes with one hand, he surveyed his surroundings with some confusion before looking down and catching Max's amused expression.

"Hey," Alec mumbled around a yawn. "Feelin' better?"

She nodded slightly in the affirmative, although a shadow passed over her features and she looked down at his chest, picking at invisible lint on his shirt.

"OC warned me to keep it down." Alec said lightly in a way of changing the subject. "Guess she was expecting more of a blowup from you, in the kick-Alec's- ass format. Or perhaps she was alluding to my other talents..." Alec trailed off, musing towards the end while waggling his eyebrows suggestively when she looked back up. "It still isn't too late for the latter, you know. I'm always ready for those kind of games."

Max scoffed and smacked him lightly on the arm, fighting the urge to grin.

Alec ducked away from any other potential blow, laughing.

"Now there's the Max I know and love. I know you can't keep your hands off of me, but I much preferred our previous position." Alec teased as Max sat back on her knees, preparing to launch a second wave. Until she paused mid-action and just sat there with an unreadable expression on her face.

"So if you'd move over to your right just the slightest bit and crawl back up here, I think that'd be just about perfect." Alec directed as she continued to sit there, unmoving.

"Uh, Max? Hello?" Alec questioned, drawing out the last word at her vacant expression. He'd thought they were making progress, too. Had he said something wrong?

"It's you." Max murmured to herself thoughtfully. How could she have ever doubted Alec? She should have known from the get-go that while his intentions were always skewed, he did have people's best interests at heart. He never hurt anyone intentionally that didn't deserve it and he was always there for someone if it were at all possible. Hell, he always had her back, that much was for sure. How could anyone _not_ see how much Alec cared for the well being of everyone he knew? And how could she not have realized how much that meant to her? How much _he_ meant to her.

"Huh?" Alec responded, completely confused as he was unable to hear her thoughts. "What's me? I didn't do anything wrong, I swear." Alec continued, his tone saying otherwise.

Looking back up at him when she noticed the change in his voice, she started slightly. She'd gotten lost in her thoughts when she heard him utter those few words. He'd meant it in jest, but it turned her world off its axis.

"Alec," Max asked pensively, sidelining her own revelations. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." Alec replied, an 'I'm innocent, but not really' smirk on his face.

"I know you're lying, Alec. Now tell me." Max stated firmly, staring him down.

"It was before I really got to know you." Alec hedged, belaying the point as he pushed himself up to lean against the wall. "You might actually find it funny."

"I'm all ears." Max said flatly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Alec winced pre-beating at what he was about to tell her. He'd hoped it would have never came up. So much for luck being on his side.

"Now just remember, Max, that I wasn't a real big fan of yours back then. _And_ that I needed to fit in as quickly as possible." Alec began defensively. He paused to let that sink in before continuing. "When I first got on at JP, I was dared to sneak into your bedroom and steal one pair of you panties and a bra." Alec said warily, putting as much distance between himself and the impending blow-up that was to ensue.

"What?" Max exploded, her face contorting into a fury Alec was almost sure he'd never seen before...on anybody.

"Now Max, calm down. They only saw them once. I didn't let them touch, either. And the picture proved only that it was your bedroom without giving everything away." Alec continued, attempting damage control. However, he almost smacked himself for letting that slip. He just had to dig the hole deeper, didn't he?

"You took pictures!" Max shrieked.

Alec hadn't thought Max was even capable of shrieking.

"I deleted them off my phone once I showed them it was your apartment." Alec explained, trying to draw out the conversation to avoid the beating that now had a high probability of occurring.

Max took a deep breath through her nose and closed her eyes for a few moments before asking her next question.

"Why me?" Max moaned out almost pitifully.

"Have you seen yourself, Max? Every guy that sees you is curious as to what goes on that body beneath all the clothes and bitchy attitude." Alec stated as if it were obvious. "Especially after that rumor of you flashing Normal got around. Did that really happen, by the way?" Alec finished curiously.

Max merely glowered without answering. Her eyes narrowed on Alec even further as she continued speaking. "They shoulda just kept their perverted minds wonderin' and you shoulda kept your hands out of my underwear drawer." Max paused again to collect herself as another thought occurred to her.

"What exactly did you take?" Max asked, frowning and turning her head slightly, dreading the answer.

Alec sucked in a nervous breath before he answered. "The black lace boyshorts and the matching push-up bra." Alec replied, preparing himself.

"Alec! That was my best set!" Max exclaimed, continuing to fume. "I searched high and low for weeks afterwards! I even searched my locker at JP on the off-chance that they might have ended up there. I can't believe you had the audacity...!"

"So _that's_ why you had the entire contents of your locker spread out on the floor that one day." Alec quipped thoughtfully.

"Yeah." Max replied incredulously, drawing out the syllables of the word.

Max said nothing more, rather she sat there glaring at the bedspread just to the side of a place he'd rather she not look at in such a state. Frankly, it made Alec very uncomfortable. She could be thinking of the best way to kill him without raising suspicion. Starting with the aforementioned part he'd miss the most.

"Max?" Alec questioned slowly, afraid to let her sit and ponder for too long.

"You better be glad I like you." Max muttered flatly, looking up at him with barely concealed rage. "Otherwise you'd be in a lot of pain right now."

She looked beyond pissed, but at least she wasn't attacking him.

"Where are they?" Max continued, looking at him pointedly.

He found it would be wise not to lie or toy with her patience.

"My apartment." Alec replied. "In a box under my bed." Alec added when her face turned livid. Like he'd actually do something like put them on display. Well...not to Max, anyway. For some reason he couldn't explain, he didn't want another man anywhere near Max's undergarments, much less looking at and touching them.

"I want them back. Immediately." Max bit out sharply.

"What, right now?" Alec asked, confused. He already told her he didn't carry them around in his back pocket or anything similarly related.

Max rolled her eyes as she climbed off the bed, leaning down hard on his shin as she pushed herself up. Alec grunted in response.

"No, genius. After I get dressed and grab something to eat. I'm coming with." Max stated as she backed out of the bedroom. Once she finished talking, she turned and headed in the direction of the bathroom.

Breathing out slowly, Alec let his head bang against the wall a couple times before he swung his legs off the bed and onto the floor. Placing his head in his hands, he sat like that until he heard Max approaching.

All he could do was stare as she walked past him and to her closet. She didn't look the least bit bothered that she was strutting around in front of him in nothing but a towel that left little to the imagination. Hell, he hadn't even heard her taking the shower. He knew that _he _had no problem with the whole "no clothes" issue, but he felt, for sure, that Max was prudish to the extreme.

In that manner, he was glad that Logan had dumped her. He had a feeling Max wasn't really as extroverted before said event.

Max could feel Alec's eyes on her as she nonchalantly thumbed her way through her clothes, looking for something to wear. She was still upset over what he'd done, but she couldn't help but feel a little smug that she'd rendered him speechless without saying a word to him. Besides, turnabout was fair play, wasn't it?

She seemed to recall a temporary cure, a gossamer, and Alec wearing only a blue towel wrapped low around his hips.

Nope, that particular memory never seemed to get old.

Pulling out a dark blue tank top, a white one to wear underneath the first, and a pair of dark blue jeans, Max turned and began to walk back towards the bathroom as if Alec weren't even there, purposefully avoiding her dresser and her underwear drawer.

As predicted, Alec realized this.

"Max?" Alec called out, his voice a little deeper than usual. He continued when she turned to face him questioningly. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Max frowned thoughtfully before answering. "Nope." Max answered brightly, shaking the clothes in her hand back and forth. "Got what I need right here."

Let him stew over the fact that she was going to be walking around without any underwear, she thought smugly as she turned and continued on towards the bathroom.

He couldn't believe it. Max had more or less just told him that she was going to be walking around commando in his presence. Was she trying to kill him? Sure, he might have deserved a little torture considering what he'd just admitted to, but seriously. This was definitely overkill.

Groaning softly to himself, he stood up and scrubbed his hands through his hair and down his face. Standing on his tip-toes, he then dropped to the floor. Landing on his arms extended, he then sped through 100 push-ups in an attempt to distract his thoughts from Max.

Standing up, he looked down to see that, thankfully, the most obvious indication of his straying thoughts had temporarily gone down. At this point, he didn't know if Max would like that or not. He'd never known her to be so...brazen around him. And if he didn't know any better, he'd say flirtatious. But for now he was just going to keep playing close to his chest. He wasn't going to try anything until he knew for sure what Max's intentions were.

"Alright." Max said, popping her head through the doorway. "Let's go."

ooooooosoo*ooonooo*oooaooo*ooouoooooo

I was trying to attempt a little humor along with the UST. Sometimes it works. I can only hope this is one of those times. So, until next time...


	4. Spin You Around

Author's note: This chapter's a wee bit shorter than my usual as of late, but this one holds a special caliber to me and I didn't want to add anymore to it and make it too confusing. It's not _the_ main scene of the story, if you get my drift, but rather the returning of the underwear. I thought it worked well enough by itself. I can only hope it lives up to expectations. Well, go on and read then!

Music Selections: 'Spin you around' by Puddle of Mudd, 'Sorry' by Buckcherry, 'By the way' by Hinder.

Disclaimer: Don't own Dark Angel.

Chapter 4: Spin You Around

When Max walked into Alec's apartment, she was surprised by how tidy it was since the last time she'd seen it. Being transgenic led to a few OCD tendencies and one of hers was being clean. Organized. It may not always appear to be the case on the surface, but then again, hiding the truth was something they all prided themselves on. The point being, it had never appeared as if Alec had any cleanliness tendencies to speak of. Sure, he was clean and always seemed to be impeccably dressed, but she never thought that extended to his apartment.

It would appear that something, or some_one_, had led him to a change in his character. For a moment, her jealously took over, making her wonder who _she_ was. But then, common sense overrode that emotion. This was _Alec,_ after all. It was physically impossible for any woman to change a man like him. He just got tired of tripping over leftovers and scotch bottles.

"Max," Alec drawled out as she followed behind him into the apartment as if on autopilot, surveying her surroundings as if it were foreign territory, calculating and perceptive. Not paying him any heed as she did so. This could be interesting. "Hello?"

"Hmm...what?" Max said distractedly, not looking at him.

Smiling at nothing in particular at what he was about to do, Alec stopped dead in front of her and started counting back from three to himself.

Max plowed into him just as he reached one.

"Alec!" Max exclaimed exasperatedly, catching herself as she stumbled back a few steps before righting herself. "What'd you stop for?"

"Just to see what you'd do." Alec said lightly, his eyes alight with mirth as he turned back to look at her, amused.

"Mmm-hmm." Max replied disbelievingly, stepping around him and continuing down the hall to his bedroom. Alec rolled his eyes at her impatience and followed closely behind.

"Alec, there had better not be anything wrong with my...things." Max said, starting out threateningly but fell flat when it came time to say bra and panties. Saying his name in the same sentence as her bra and panties led to parts of her body heating up that had no right doing so in Alec's presence.

"Relax. What do you think I did with them? Pass them around the table at the weekly poker game?" Alec said incredulously, biting back the hurt and disappointment at her not trusting him. Sure, he _had_ stolen them and kept them for months, but still. He'd just forgotten to return them, that's all. Of course, it didn't hurt that they had her scent all over them, even though they'd been freshly washed before he'd taken them. "They're in a plastic freezer bag inside a box that doesn't have any holes or tears. They get better treatment than _my_ underwear."

"Oh." Max said, mock-surprise in her voice as she turned and faced him as she continued walking backwards. "You mean to say you're actually dressed long enough to need boxers?"

"Boxer-briefs." Alec corrected, going along with the tease. "And I know. Who'd have thought?"

"Wouldn't have guessed." Max deadpanned, pivoting back around and looking around his bedroom. With a raised eyebrow, she surveyed the clothes strewn about the floor, bed, and close to every possible surface available. So apparently she'd been correct about the home cleaning tendencies, after all.

"Sorry about the mess." Alec said sheepishly, ducking his head slightly and scratching the back of his neck over his reappearing barcode. For some reason, he felt embarrassed by Max seeing his bedroom in such a state. "It's been a rough couple days and I haven't had much time to pick up."

She looked up at his downcast face, genuine surprise gracing her features. Since when did Alec apologize to her about anything? About his bedroom habits, no less.

"Um...it's cool. You should see my bedroom before a date." Max said uncomfortably, unsure of how to respond to a sheepish and apologetic Alec.

"Is that an invitation? Are you asking me out?" Alec said after a moment, an attempt to shatter the uncomfortable tension that had settled upon them, his mouth quirking up to one side, teasing her.

"What?" Max sputtered, caught off-guard by the comment. "No."

"If you say so." Alec countered disbelievingly, raising his head up a fraction to look at her. "You wouldn't have said it if you hadn't thought about it."

"God! That's what I get for trying to be nice." Max growled out, shaking her head and turning away from him to look at and point to the bed. "Could you just give me what we came for so I can get out of here?"

"Go here, Alec. Do this, Alec. Don't screw up, Alec. Don't steal that TV, Alec." Alec grumbled mock-frustratedly in a higher-pitched voice as he brushed past her to kneel down on the left side of the bed. "Better watch out for all that ordering me around, Max. It might just turn around and bite you on the ass one day. I could mutiny, you know."

"That would be the day." Max retorted casually, hand settled on one hip while shifting her weight to her other leg. She watched as Alec slowly pulled out a small box about the size of a small laptop computer from underneath the head of the bed, saying nothing else. Sitting it on the bed, he pulled open the flaps of the box and lifted the bag out. Max drew in a deep breath as he opened the bag, gingerly grasped the contents, and let the bag fall to the bed. She could feel heat pool between her legs, throbbing against her jeans as she imagined Alec removing each garment from her body first, loving each area with his mouth and hands as he did so.

Alec could tell she was aroused. He could smell it as well as see it in her hooded gaze. Did she even realize that he could see it as well? He doubted it. She'd try and hide it from him, even if it wasn't for him. That's what surprised him. He had to be wrong somehow, though. Because there was no way Max was thinking of him like _that _right in front of him, knowing full well that he'd pick up the signals. But then again, she was never brought up to speed on the whole pheromones issue. She probably didn't even know. It had to be wishful thinking on his part. It was just the bra and panties he had in his hand and his own feelings being projected onto Max.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to fluster her up a little more in the meantime. She deserved a little retaliation after parading around all morning in front of him with no underwear to speak of.

Approaching her slowly, Alec said seductively, "Max? What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Max said distantly, her mind unable to break away from the fantasy she'd created. It was only by reflex that she began to back away from him, matching a step back for every one he took closer to her.

He could feel the heat rising between them, the blood rushing through his veins excitedly in anticipation of what was to come. He continued to stalk towards her, backing her into the wall behind her.

Alec tsked her before he continued in the same seductive tone, "I know what you're thinking about."

"Is that so?" Max replied kind of breathlessly, her heart racing as she continued backwards, her eyes meeting his in challenge.

"Yes. It is." Alec said huskily, finally pinning her against the wall, his cheek pressing lightly against hers. He then whispered in her ear as he trailed one hand up her arm gently, "I know right where to go."

Max shivered against his caress. What was wrong with her? It was like she was paralyzed by his words, his touch.

Alec fought back the urge to pounce on her, right there against the wall. He doubted she'd appreciate his more primitive tendency to possess her, which is what he wanted so badly in that very moment. Even if she hadn't lashed out at him yet for his actions. But he also knew that sex wasn't what Max needed at the moment. It was something she'd had too much of in the recent past, much to his inherent dislike. He didn't want another man touching her. Ever again.

So he'd show her something he'd only let one other person see. His love. Even if she never realized it as such.

Nuzzling into the crook of her neck, he inhaled her scent slowly, savoring every minute of it. Closing his eyes, he leaned back slightly and placed a gentle kiss just to the side of her mouth, lingering a moment before pulling away from her.

"Here," Alec said, clearing his throat as he looked down at his extended hand. "Put those on. Otherwise you're gonna drive me even more crazy than you already have."

Taking her hand, he then placed the bra and panties in her hand and closed her hand around them. Without saying another word, he stepped away from her and grabbed the doorknob, closing the door behind him.

Max stood there for a full minute unmoving before she complied with his request.

oooaoooo*oooco*ooozoo*ooomoooo

Intending for this to just be a itty-bitty little scene, it grew into such that I decided to make it its own chapter. I know I kind of set it up in the last chapter for Max to be the one torturing Alec with the clothes exchange, but this is what resulted. Sorry if I got you all worked up. It made me a little warm just writing it. But anyway, I've got a few more things I want to happen before I set up the...romantic interlude. I will try and make up for it later. Until next time...


	5. Believe

Author's Note: I kind of feel like I'm letting you all down with an ending like this, but it's all I've got. I guess I always thought I'd add more, or something. Don't worry...no one dies. Oh, and for one scene, I was thinking of Nathan Fillion in Serenity and that scene where they're on Haven and preparing to fly through Reaver space. Perhaps you'll know what I'm talking about. If not, well...just a fun useless factoid. Now read and (hopefully) enjoy.

Music Selections: 'This is my life' by Fefe Dobson, 'Leave out all the rest' by Linkin Park, 'Living on borrowed time' by Puddle of Mudd, 'Believe' by Staind.

Disclaimer: I own nothing involving Dark Angel. It's that simple.

Chapter 5: Believe

It had been weeks since the "underwear incident" as Max had come to term it, and a warm shiver went up her spine every time she thought about it. That was the only way she could describe it. Because while shivers were usually associated with being cold, Max felt anything but when Alec was involved.

Things had been moving along rather swimmingly, nothing much of anything happening on any front. The military was being relatively standoffish. The Familiars...well, she hadn't so much as heard nor seen a peep from them for months now. In the back of her mind, she knew this could only result in pain and destruction – mostly on their part – for they could only be so quiet when planning something. But, as usual, Alec was distracting her from what needed to be done. Even if nothing necessarily needed to be done at the present.

For once, it wasn't actually him _physically_ harassing her. In fact, he was overall behaving. He was well-mannered. He backed off on the teasing. He didn't complain much at all when she asked him to do something. There were times when she caught him looking at her in a way that her mind wasn't ready to accept. But he didn't say anything about what had changed between them.

And that was something she couldn't understand.

While she was trying to figure all this out, the proverbial shit hit the fan. And who else but Alec would be the one to disappear when it did? She didn't know how or why or even _when_ he'd disappeared, all she knew was that he was bound to end up right in the center of the storm. She had no idea as to where to look. But apparently, the boy could learn from his mistakes.

Alec called her the day after he'd gone missing with what could only be bad news.

"Alec!" Max called out urgently into the phone. "Where are you now?"

"The docks." Alec replied in a hushed tone, a hesitating hitch in his voice. He was hesitating about telling her something. He knew something was up and he didn't want her to know. "The factory behind pier six."

Max paused to think, fury pulsing through her veins. What did he think he was doing? Did he think he could actually leave on some random impulse at a time like this for no reason, or was he doing it just to piss her off?

She had to get him back so she could kick his ass to kingdom come for leaving in the first place.

"Max, no." Alec bit out commandingly, almost as if he could hear the thoughts swirling through her mind. "There are familiars everywhere. It's a trap. I can feel it."

"Which you're already in." Max retorted levelly. "See you in a few." Max finished in an overly cheerful tone, otherwise ignoring his warning. Snapping the phone shut, she turned to Mole with an unreadable expression on her face.

The look kind of scared him, to be honest.

"I'm gonna need a gun. A really big gun. And ammunition. Lots of ammunition." Max listed flatly, almost in a musing tone. Tapping her finger against her chin, she turned away and continued to muse aloud, rattling off all the things she'd require for the most likely impossible task of getting Alec back.

"Max, this isn't a good idea." Mole pointed out carefully as she continued to check off the weapons she'd need. Honestly, he thought she didn't even like guns. "Hell, even I want the pretty boy back safe and sound, but this...isn't safe. It's suicide."

"Did I ask for your opinion?" Max asked monotonously, glaring at him. Before he could answer, she continued. "No. I asked for your weapons. Get them for me." She then turned away and addressed another X5. "I need every available X ready to mobilize in twenty. Suit 'em up, load 'em up, and make sure they're ready to leave when I am. Because whether or not they are, I'm heading out in twenty."

ooomoaoo*ooovooooo*ooxooozoo*

Alec knew that it was a bad idea from the start. He should have known that the virus no longer had a cure. Not without the scientists and science that created it, in any case. Or at least that guy that had dug that bomb out of his brain and then vanished. But he had to find a way. He'd promised Max. This was something he had to do. If making her better made her happy, then he'd move heaven and earth to do so.

It would seem, though, that finding the cure here wasn't going to happen and he may actually have to move heaven and earth to find it. Once he got out of this mess, that is.

"Find 494 and bring him to me. And when you do, rough him up some. That should really irritate her and bring her to us even faster." Ames White ordered the group of familiars following his command. "But don't kill him. We need him alive to lure 452 out. She will come for him. She always does. When we have her secured...kill the transgenic filth."

Alec ducked back into the air duct he was hiding in after the conversation below ended and the group dispersed in all directions. He hoped they wouldn't grow a brain and search the high places. He knew he couldn't hide forever, but he also knew Max would be raging in anytime now, guns ablaze. Well, figuratively speaking, of course. Because like White mentioned, Max was never that far behind Alec. She'd show up eventually.

He just hoped she played it cool and didn't get them both killed.

ooowooo*ooocoooo*oooeoo*oooaoooo

"Give me back my Alec. Now." Max commanded, her tone frigid. So much for subtle.

"I don't believe you're in any position for requests, 452." White responded in an equally cold tone, gesturing around to the other Familiars that were beginning to surround her. He knew she'd come for him. For reasons he couldn't understand, they were particular about who they mated with. Most animals didn't have such decision making capabilities. It was take what you can get. These genetically designed soldiers weren't that far off from being such. And yet, it was noted time and again how they appeared to form bonds. It was strange.

And now he was using _this_ particular bond to get rid of the most important one. And two for the price of one was always good. He had the upper hand. She'd acted too rashly. He didn't even have the other transgenic in his custody yet. They had yet to find him. But then again, he didn't need him here physically to bend 452 to his will. She was also adverse to guns. Did she really expect to leave here alive with 494?

Max raised an eyebrow and whistled three shrill, lilting blasts. Weapons being cocked and aimed echoed throughout the complex. White circled around slowly, mild amusement tweaking his features. He finished turning to find an automatic aimed at his forehead and a detached transgenic female on the trigger.

Apparently she was willing to forego her dislike of firearms when pushed to a certain extent.

"I believe I am." Max stated stoically. "Now bring him to me."

"Since when did this particular defector achieve such sentimentality? He doesn't belong to you. He is owned by Manticore. Meaning he is ours to terminate." White responded, stepping forward into the barrel of her gun, challenging her. It pressed coolly into his temple, his eyes devoid of fear. Like many times before, just because she was carrying one and threating to use it, didn't mean she would. He knew she wouldn't actually kill anyone.

"Fine then." Max said nonchalantly, shaking her gun from side to side a few times slightly. "Have it your way."

Leveling the gun away from him, she fired three times: hitting the familiar to his right, the one just over his left shoulder, and the one to his far left. All between the eyes and without removing her own unremorseful gaze from White's.

"Well done, 452." Ames White congratulated flatly, slightly amused. "I..."

"I'm finished talking." Max said, cutting him off. She then shot him four times – one in each bicep and one in each shin. His expression didn't change, but he sank to his knees in response, unable to hold himself up.

"Do whatever you want with the rest. I don't care." Max said in passing to the nearest transgenic. The transgenic nodded and hand-signaled to the rest of the group. Max continued walking further into the cavernous building towards the cluster of offices in the rear of the building.

"Have you found him yet?" Max asked as she neared the transhuman feline at the opposite end of the hallway she'd entered. She shook her head in the negative. Max closed her eyes for a moment, turning away and back in the opposite direction to continue the search.

"You seriously underestimate me sometimes." Alec said from above and behind her head. Swiveling around, Max watched as Alec kicked through the air vent from ten feet up. "I mean, come on Max. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's hiding." Alec finished, dropping down into a crouch at floor level in front of her, his head bent. Standing up, he dusted himself off and sauntered up to her.

Grinning cheekily, he asked, "So I'm _your_ Alec now? Does that mean I get special perks?" He finished by wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Shaking her head at his ridiculousness, she couldn't fight back the grin that tugged at her lips as she pushed past him. If he played his cards right, he just might. He knew which buttons to push after all.

"Only in your dreams." Max retorted lightly, continuing towards the exit, the gun in her hand clattering to the floor forgotten.

"So that means OC will be there, too?" Alec continued in a eager tone, jogging after her.

Max looked heavenward for patience and didn't reply. Whatever did she see in him? It didn't matter.

He was simply her Prince Charming in her own twisted version of a fairy tale ending.

ooonoooooo*oooooxoooo*ooozoomooo

Ha! There. It is finally finished and you all don't have to hate me anymore. Well, I guess that depends on whether or not you liked the ending, that is. But what can I say? That's all I've got. It took me for absolute ever to proofread this chapter. Word of advice: don't watch Robin Williams on Broadway while trying to do something remotely constructive such as proofread. Umm...yeah. Confusing at all? And yes, Max and the whole "guns" spin-off is a tad bit off-kilter. However, I believe she'd abandon her dislike of using guns for a loved one. So much to do...so much to write... WBL.


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